Waterton-Glacier officially an International Dark Sky Park

Glacier National Park and its sister to the north, Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada announced last week they had received full certification as an International Dark Sky Park, after meeting the International Dark Sky Association outdoor lighting requirements.

The parks have recently met the 67% threshold for approved lights and light fixtures, noted Ashley Wilson, dark sky places program manager for the International Dark Sky Association.

In five years, they have to reach 90% compliance, in 10 years, 100%, she said.

Both parks over the years have installed dark sky-friendly lighting while ensuring lighting used is necessary for public safety. These lights and fixtures reduce the harmful impacts of artificial lighting on wildlife, protect human health and preserve night skies for optimal star viewing. 

Waterton has a village inside its national park. In 2021, new LED streetlights were installed in Waterton Lakes in accordance with Parks Canada outdoor lighting guidelines and dark sky standards. This completed the requirements for certification as a dark sky park. Waterton Lakes’ new streetlights feature a custom LED color temperature.

Glacier has done, or is working on the same thing, it said in a release.

New LED streetlights were installed in the West Glacier headquarters area and park residences received either new, dark sky-friendly fixtures and LED bulbs, or simply had the existing bulbs replaced. Additionally, replacement fixtures have been purchased for the East Glacier, St. Mary, and Many Glacier areas of the park for installation later this year.

All told, Glacier had to modify or replace about 1,500 light fixtures over the past few years to meet the requirements.

Waterton and Glacier received a provisional International Dark Sky Park designation in April 2017.

Iree Wheeler, a former Glacier Park employee, headed up the effort to help bring both of the parks into compliance a few years ago.

She was honored as a “Dark Sky Defender” by the International Dark-Sky Association in the fall of 2020.

Winter is still the darkest time in the parks, particularly Glacier, when the lodges are all closed for the season and most lights are shut off.

The darkest skies in Glacier are typically up the North Fork in the winter on the west side and on the east side, all of the drainages are very dark, though a person would have to don skis to gain access deep into the park, save for St. Mary, which is plowed all winter long.

Glacier has a telescope set up at the St. Mary visitor center so the public can view the stars. It also has a program at Apgar most nights near the shore of Lake McDonald for star viewing.

Today, Waterton-Glacier is one of over 130 International Dark Sky Places scattered across the globe — covering a combined area of nearly 25 million acres — that pledge to protect their dark skies as a resource for future generations

“Dark night skies are an important wilderness characteristic at Glacier National Park,” said acting superintendent Pete Webster. “Clearly seeing the expanse of the universe increases a person’s sense of solitude well beyond that of the terrestrial landscape. A Dark Skies designation aids International Peace Park visitors in finding their own wilderness solitude.”

"We are proud of the work and effort Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park has made to become fully certified. This laudable achievement is the result of long-term planning and a well-implemented strategy that is friendly to both humans and the nocturnal environment. By taking action and addressing sources of artificial light pollution directly, this International Dark Sky Park has taken a major step in preserving its night skies," Wilson said.